BOYERTOWN, Pa. — In cooperation with the Maguire Family Foundation, tourist line Colebrookdale Railroad announced on March 27 that it has acquired former Rio Grande Scenic Railroad 2-8-0 No. 18. The engine was built for the Lake Superior & Ishpeming in Upper Michigan by Alco (Pittsburgh) in 1910. The acquisition comes after the railroad said […]
Steam Directory editor, heritage rail pioneer Marvin Cohen Marvin Cohen, editor of the Steam Directory from 1966 to 1989, passed away at home in Middletown, N.Y. on Dec. 10, 2020, at age 93. Mark Smith, Cohen’s successor, credited Cohen with an “incalculable contribution” to the heritage rail industry by creating the “bible of the industry.” […]
Western Maryland Scenic says No. 1309 is being prepared for FRA inspection Western Maryland Scenic Railroad officials say C&O 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 is “100% operational” and believe the locomotive will be operating this summer, although it awaits a few parts and must address “a few leaks” before receiving its Federal Railroad Administration inspection. The Cumberland […]
BONSAL, N.C. — The North Carolina Railway Museum is seeking funds to rescue 10 railcars from a disconnected siding at a nuclear power plant near New Hill, N.C., for eventual use on the museum’s New Hope Valley Railway. Nearly $100,000 must be raised to save the cars, which include two cabooses being donated by Duke […]
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to resume operation May 1 Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will resume operation May 1 with National Park Scenic rides operating through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Trains will operate three days a week (Friday through Sunday) in May and five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday) beginning in June. “We look […]
Allegany County, Md., to take over track repairs needed by Western Maryland Scenic Allegany County, Md., is taking over track maintenance of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from the heritage line, the Cumberland Times-News reports. The move comes after the Federal Railroad Administration in February ordered the replacement of 50,000 ties before the railroad — […]
‘Azelea Sprinter’ excursion train debuts in Georgia A new Georgia excursion train will debut this weekend with sold-out trips. WALB-TV reports the Azelea Sprinter, operating by CaterParrott Railnet on the Georgia & Florida Railroad, sold out its first three trips in less than two days. The train will depart from Nashville, Ga., and offer three […]
Colebrookdale Railroad to host ride for those with autism, other sensory sensitivities The Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyerstown, Pa., will host a “Sensory Friendly Saturday” train ride, specifically designed for those with autism or other sensory sensitivities, on March 27. The Sanatoga Post reports the event planned by the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust. Features will include […]
Introduction to the Durango & Silverton A trip to Colorado to see and ride a narrow gauge railroad is essential for anyone with an interest in great steam railroading in the Rocky Mountains. Colorado has several railroads worth visiting (in fact, we offer, in conjunction with Special Interest Tours, a week-long trip to visit them […]
In a landmark deal, the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation has acquired a historic water tender and accompanying former-Pennsylvania Railroad Railway Post Office car from the Indiana Transportation Museum. Both cars, along with a former-Pennsylvania Railroad baggage car, were transported from Indiana to the KSHC property in Irvine, Kentucky, in late 2018. The cars were part […]
RONKS, Pa. — Strasburg Rail Road’s first-ever all-female steam engine crew will run all trips for the Pennsylvania tourist line this Saturday, March 6. The assignment coincides with International Women’s Day (March 8) and Women’s History Month. In the cab will be Andrea Biesecker as engineer and Shelley Hall as fireman. They will run the […]
The North Carolina Railway Museum, which lost most of its 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin 2021 operations of the New Hope Valley Railway with a new event later in March. The all-volunteer, non-profit railway, will host “Hop into Spring,” with rides Saturday and Sunday, March 27-27. The event will feature socially distant […]
